Fire extinguishing apparatus and method



Filed Jan. 8, 1952 lnventors RMSSEZZ E D/LL JAMES 7.' IRWIN (IttornegUnited States Patent FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS AND METHOD Russell E.Dill and James T. Irwin, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 8, 1952, Serial No. 265,494

7 Claims. (Cl. 1694) This invention relates to a means and method forextinguishing fires in tanks containing highly volatile materials, suchas oil, gasoline, grease, paint, alcohol, etc., the invention beingparticularly applicable to the prevention and extinction of fires in thelarge storage tanks that contain the products of oil refineries. Suchtanks are frequently quite numerous and closely grouped in adjacency toa refinery. Accordingly, should one tank catch fire, the others of thegroup are subject to the hazard of fire from the one that is burning.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method andmeans for not only; extinguishing the fire in a burning tank, but alsoto so condition the other tanks of a group as to prevent the samecatching fire.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, novel andimproved fire-retarding and extinguishing method that entails theintroduction, into the bottom of a tank, of two liquids or solutionsthat combine to form a foam which rises through the body of liquid inthe tank to cover the surface thereof and, thereby blanket said liquidto the exclusion of combustion-supporting gases.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improved meansfor introducing into a liquid-containing tank two solutions that form afoam when combined.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that arepositive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a workingposition and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture,relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description. However, the drawing merelyshows and the following description merely describes one embodiment ofthe present invention, which is given by way of illustration or exampleonly.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in theseveral views.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view partly in section, showing apparatusembodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a multiple arrangement of theapparatus of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, Fig. 1, the numeral 5 represents a liquid-holding tankof the type used for storing volatile liquids, it being understood thatthe size, shape and proportions of said tank are immaterial providingthe same has a closed top 6, as shown. The level of liquid 7 in saidtank varies and the same, at diiferent times, may be quite low and atothers, quite high. In any case, there is an air space 8 above saidliquid which will support combustion should said liquid catch fire.

The fireextinguishing apparatus comprises, generally, separate tanks 9and 10, supply lines 11 and 12 extending from said respective tanks totank 5, and each said line embodying a pump 13 for forcing liquid fromtanks 9 and into tank 5, and means 14 in the bottom of tank 5 forintermingling the liquids conducted to said tank by lines 11 and 12.

The means 14, as shown, comprises a circular pipe or header 15 disposedin the bottom of tank 5 and provided with a plurality of nozzles or jets16 directed toward the center of the tank. It will be clear, therefore,that liquid or solution, under pressure of the pump in line 11, isattenuated or broken up by nozzles 16 as the same spreads across tank 5adjacent the bottom thereof. Means 14 further includes a battle orspreader 17 positioned above the outlet of line 12 and the same servesto laterally diffuse liquid or solution striking the under face thereofand, thereby, facilitate commingling of the two solutions of tanks 9 and10 in the bottom of tank 5.

The solutions in tanks 9 and 10 are respectively known in the trade as Asolution and B solution. A solution comprises an aluminum sulphatesolution, and B" solution comprises bicarbonate of soda, licorice, andgoulac. These solutions are intended as by way of example because, inpractice, they vary in their makeup. In any case, it is intended thatthe A and B solutions have the property of creating a foamy or frothymass when combined and that said mass be of such consistency as tosmother or blanket combustion by exclusion of combustion-sustaininggases.

According to the present method, both solutions are pumpedsimultaneously into means 14 and commingled by said means in the bottomof the tank 5, the resultant foam then rises through the body of liquid7 into the space above said liquid. The foam may fill said space but, inany case, being heavier than the air therein, will lay upon the surfaceof the liquid 7 to either prevent combustion or, if combustion isalready in progress, smothering the same.

Since both solutions are usually of higher specific gravity than theliquid 7 or, at least, when such is the case, the solutions may beintroduced serially into the bottom of liquid 7 and will remain at thebottom until the foam is formed. The foam will then rise to the surfaceas before.

After the foam has served its purpose, the same will, in time, condenseinto a liquid that may be drawn off from the top or, if it is heavierthan the liquid 7, drawn 01f "Ice 'by means of a drain line 18. Checkvalves 19 may be provided in lines 11 and 12 so that the liquid 7 maynot flow toward pumps 13.

Fig. 2 shows how tanks 9 and 10 may be connected to supply solution to aplurality of tanks 5, 5a, selectively. By opening valves 20 and 21, tank5 may be served, by opening valves 20a and 21a, tank 5a may be served,and by opening all of said valves, both tanks 5 and 5a may be served.Three or more tanks may be connected to receive solutions from tanks 9and 10 in the above manner.

No matter how lines 11 and 12 are brought to tank 5, the introduction ofthe solutions is directly to or adjacent the bottom. Also, the solutionsmay be conducted by gravity flow, by siphoning, or comparable ways otherthan pumps 13.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is nowregarded as the preferred embodiment, the construction is, of course,subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. It it, therefore, not desired to restrict the inventionto the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but tocover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a tank for storing volatile liquids, a nozzleequipped circularheader within the lower portion of said tank and adapted to dischargeone solution into the lower interior of said tank, a pipe discharginginto the central lower portion of the tank and adapted to inject asecond solution into said lower interior of the tank, and a dif fusingelement above the point of discharge of said pipe to direct the secondsolution directly toward the discharge of the header to facilitatefoam-forming commingling of the two solutions.

2. A method for extinguishing the ignited liquid contents of a storagetank that consists in discharging within the ignited liquid of said tankand closely adjacent the bottom thereof two solutions that form a foamwhen combined, directing said solutions laterally toward each otherwhile adjacent the tank bottom and then allowing the resultant foam tomove upward through the liquid to cover the surface thereof.

3. A method for extinguishing a fire consuming a volatile liquid in aclosed storage tank that consists in simultaneously discharging intosaid liquid closely adjacent the bottom of the tank two solutions thatform a foam when combined, directing said solutions laterally towardeach other while adjacent the tank bottom and then allowing theresultant foam to rise through the liquid to blanket the top surfacethereof.

, 4. A method for extinguishing a fire consuming a volatile liquid in aclosed storage tank that consists in simultaneously discharging twofoam-forming solutions into said liquid closely adjacent the bottom ofthe tank, diffusing said solutions to facilitate their commingling whileat the bottom of the tank and thereby hasten their foamformingproperties, and allowing the foam formed at the bottom of the tank torise through the liquid to blanket the top surface thereof.

5. In a tank for storing a volatile liquid, means for discharging afirst fluid into said liquid at the lower interior of said tank, meansfor discharging a second fluid into said liquid at the lower interior ofsaid tank, the two fluids forming a foam upon their commingling, andmeans to diffuse one of said fluids into the other, upon discharge, tofacilitate foam-forming commingling of the two fluids.

6. In a tank for storing a volatile liquid, means for separately storingfirst and second fluids which form a foam when combined, means fordischarging said first fluid from said storage means into said volatileliquid at the lower interior of said tank in a plurality of pathsdirected toward the central lower portion of said tank, and means fordischarging the second fluid from said storage means into said volatileliquid at the lower interior of said tank in a manner to diffuse saidsecond fluid with said first fluid adjacent the tank bottom andfacilitate foam-forming commingling of the two fluids.

7. A method for extinguishing a fire consuming a volatile liquid in aclosed storage tank that consists in discharging two foam-forming fluidsinto said volatile liquid at the bottom of the tank, diffusing saidsolutions at substantially their level of discharge into the tank tofacilitate their commingling and hasten their foam-forming propertiesand allowing the foam to move upward through said liquid because of thelower density of the foam and thereby cover the surface of said liquid.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS671,240 Shuman Apr. 2, 1901 1,118,952 Sheufigen Dec. 1, 1914 1,356,207Holmes Oct. 19, 1920 1,364,799 Patterson et a1. Jan. 4, 1921 1,813,101Taylor July 7, 1931

1. IN A TANK FOR STORING VOLATILE LIQUIDS, A NOZZLEEQUIPPED CIRCULARHEADER WITHIN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID TANK AND ADAPTED TO DISCHARGEONE SOLUTION INTO THE LOWER INTERIOR OF SAID TANK, A PIPE DISCHHARGINGINTO THE CENTRAL LOWER PORTION OF THE TANK AND ADAPTED TO INJECT ASECOND SOLUTION INTO SAID LOWER INTERIOR OF THE TANK, AND A DIF-